TESTOSTERONE ELEVATES EXPRESSION OF TENASCIN-R AND OLIGOMANNOSIDIC CARBOHYDRATES IN DEVELOPING MALE ZEBRA FINCHES

The song system of zebra finches is a model for studying the influence of steroids on neural connectivity and behavior during development, T o investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the song-related and gonadal hormone-regulated development of neural activity, we have cho sen to investigate the expression of recognition molecules in the brai n nuclei associated with motor control of song production, Here we sho w that testosterone accelerates expression of the predominantly oligod endroglia-, but also neuron-associated extracellular matrix glycoprote in tenascin-R and the oligomannosidic carbohydrate L3 during the third and seventh posthatching week in the higher vocal center (HVC) and ro bust nucleus of the archistriatum (RA), but not in other brain regions , The results suggest that recognition molecules and associated carboh ydrate structures can be regulated by testosterone and that an increas ed expression of these molecules correlates with testosterone-induced modifications of song behavior. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.